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User blog:Göndul/A Reflection on Heroscape Fandom: Belated NHD Post
Hello all, admin here, I wanted to wish everyone a belated National Heroscape Day! I couldn't take the time out to post something about it as I was in Las Vegas the previous week attending the 2016 Final Fantasy Festival at the Paris. Looking at the time and how it's passed in the span of Heroscape's introduction to the tabletop gaming markets, its discontinuation, and its maintained existence through its fans hitting up to 6 years now of a thriving fandom, it brings back memories of my first Heroscape purchase in 2004. I was very young, probably 10-11 or so when I first saw the game. It was the fantastic cover art that spoke to me first. Specifically, it was the stand-offish idea that it presented of a dinosaur, a dragon, WWII soldiers, and an odd skeletal alien with a laser gun (that's what I knew them as before I knew the name Marro) locked in combat. Several lawns mowed later I acquired the funding to buy the set and invited my friend who lived down the street to play it the moment I got it. I recall losing several games to him, all because he would buy Syvarris first above all other choices in the Master Set, and just snipe everything I threw at him. In retrospect, I was terrible at the game. But day after day of play, of every scenario, of every conceivable build me and my friend could think of using at the time our young minds could construct, I recognize now it contributed to a concept that would mold and move the creative aspects of my preference of penmanship to greater heights. Most of all, the Heroscape story above all else, contributed to my imagination. It's designed no small number of fan fictions and headcanons, concepts and theories. And now, working as the creative consultant to Tales of Valhalla: The Aftermath Chronicles, I find it a joy to reflect on just how much of my original work owns its initial drive to the concept that was the core of the Heroscape franchise. I think about how much of the lore of the series I can retain and utilize for the assistance of other projects. These thoughts fill me with pride in seeing how it was the childlike fascination that drove me to the game in the first place granted me an opportunity to find such a fertile field of concepts to build from in my work. In the same network of ideas, I reflect on the fandom. Most games or stories tend to die out after it ends in a short period. But not Heroscape. To see the game alive after such a long time after its official discontinuation is something to look up to and set goals to achieve similar results in any creative endeavor. I have met so many fantastic people by the concept and subject of Heroscape than any other franchise. This event has opened my mind to new ideas and driven a deeper appreciation of the game. As I continue to work on a novel series, I planned to mold after the Heroscape story, and I appreciate the enormous contributions of the fandom to the drive and the desire to keep this game alive as long as it has been. You are all fantastic people! And nothing would be greater than to see the game continue and contribute to the social networking and discussions of the future generations to come. Anselm Durante (talk) 20:06, October 22, 2016 (UTC) Category:Blog posts